Confederate States Ship
| Confederate States Navy | |
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Navy of the Confederate States Participant in the American Civil War |
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Seal of the Confederate States Department of the Navy, which the Confederate Navy formed a part of alongside the Confederate States Marine Corps.
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| Active | February 21, 1861 – November 6, 1865 |
| Leaders |
Stephen R. Mallory (C.S. Secretary of the Navy) Samuel Barron (Chief of the Bureau of Orders and Detail) George Minor (Chief of Ordnance and Hydrography) John DeBree (Chief of Provisions and Clothing) W.A.W. Spottswood (Bureau of Medicine and Surgery) Edward M. Tidball (Chief Clerk) |
| Headquarters | Confederate States Navy Department, (Richmond, Virginia) |
| Part of |
 Confederate States of America
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| Allies |
 Confederate States Marines Confederate States Army
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| Opponents | |
| Battles and wars | American Civil War (1861-1865) |
| Naval jack (1863–1865) | |
| Naval ensign (1863–1865) | |
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The Navy of the Confederate States (CSN) was the naval branch of the Confederate States Armed Forces, established by an act of the Confederate States Congress on February 21, 1861. It was responsible for Confederate naval operations during the American Civil War (1861-1865), fighting against the Union Navy / United States Navy.
The three major tasks of the Confederate States Navy during the whole of its existence were the protection of Confederate harbors and coastlines from outside invasion, making the war costly for the U.S. by attacking American / Northern merchant ships worldwide and running the U.S. blockade by drawing off U.S. Navy ships in pursuit of the Confederate commerce raiders and few warships.
The Confederate navy could never achieve numerical equality with the United States Navy, (then known as the Union Navy), with its near 70 years of traditions and experience, so it used technological innovation, such as ironclads, submarines, torpedo boats, and naval mines (then known as torpedoes) to attempt to gain advantage. In February 1861, the Confederate States Navy had 30 vessels, only 14 of which were seaworthy. The opposing Union Navy / United States Navy had 90 vessels. The C. S. Navy eventually grew to 101 ships to meet the rise in naval conflicts and threats to the coast and rivers of the Southern Confederacy.
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Wikipedia